418 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



of a vast polar ice-cap to force outward the 

 peripheral portion of the ice that may have 

 accumulated in any latitude is unnecessary 

 and incompetent. The viscous theory of 

 ice-motion is adopted, with some modifica- 

 tions, and some of the most serious objec- 

 tions to it arc considered. 



Circulars of Information of the Bureau 

 of Education. 1881. No. 1. The 

 Construction of Library- Buildings. 

 Pp. 26. No. 2. The Relation of Edu- 

 cation to Industry and Technical 

 Training in American Schools. Pp. 

 22. 

 ins-Office. 



Washington: Government Print- 



The first of these circulars is the paper 

 on the construction of library-buildings, 

 which was read by Mr. William F. Poole, 

 of Chicago, at the last meeting of librarians 

 in Washington. Its object is not to formu- 

 late rules that must be rigidly followed, but 

 to set forth the conditions for library-build- 

 ings which experience has shown to be in- 

 dispensable. 



The second circular embraces papers 

 which have been prepared by President 

 White, of Purdue University, Lafayette, In- 

 diana, on the two subjects of " Technical 

 Training in American Schools " and " The 

 Relation of Education to Industry." 



The Disposal of the Dead : A Plea for 

 Cremation. By Edward J. Berming- 

 ham, M. D. New York : Bermingham 

 & Co. Pp. 89. Price, $2. 



The purpose of this volume is to give an 

 exposition of the present state of the sub- 

 ject of cremation in public discussions, to 

 point out the supposed evils of inhumation, 

 to assist in removing the prejudice against 

 cremation, and secure new friends for it. 

 After considering the different methods of 

 disposing of the dead, and the inconveniences 

 of burial, it reviews the history of crema- 

 tion among ancient nations and in mod- 

 ern times ; considers it from a sentimental 

 point of view, showing its consistency with 

 the best and holiest feelings with reference 

 to the dead ; furnishes descriptions of the 

 process and of the different apparatus in 

 use ; shows how economical and salutary it 

 would be to cremate dead animals and gar- 

 bage ; and closes with a summary of the 

 arguments on both sides of the question. 



Pliocene Man in America. By James C. 

 Southall, A. M., LL. D., of Richmond, 

 Virginia. Being a Paper read before the 

 Victoria Institute, or Philosophical So- 

 ciety of Great Britain. With Remarks by 

 the Duke of Argyll, Professor W. Boyd 

 Dawkins, Principal Dawson, Professor 

 T. McKenny Hughes, and others. New 

 York : A. D. F. Randolph & Co. Pp. 30. 



The author takes up the cases of human 

 relics that have been found in California 

 in such situations and under such circum- 

 stances as to cause a pre-glacial antiquity to 

 be assigned them, and argues to show that 

 that conclusion is not necessary, and that 

 there is nothing in either the situation or 

 condition of the relics to make a post-glacial 

 origin impossible or even improbable. 



Report on the Cotton Production of the 

 State of Louisiana, with a Discussion 

 of the General Agricultural Feat- 

 ures of the State. By Eugene W. 

 Hilgard, Professor of Agriculture at 

 the University of California (extra " ( 'en- 

 sus Bulletin"). Washington: Govern- 

 ment Printing-Office. Pp. 99. 



This report is intended to form a part 

 of the complete report on the cotton-culture 

 of the United States shortly to be issued. 

 It is designed for the information of the 

 general public, as well as of the statistician 

 and student, and is therefore thrown into a 

 popular form. The author is surprised that 

 so few State surveys have popular use of 

 the results of their systematic investigations 

 in view, but has always in his own work 

 considered this the most important object 

 to be compassed. Were it always sought, 

 State surveys, he believes, would be more 

 popular, better sustained, and therefore 

 more complete. 



TnE Young Folks 1 Astronomy. By John 

 D. CiiAMrLiN, Jr. New York : Henry 

 Holt & Co. 1881. Pp. 236. Price, 

 CO cents. 



The author of this book says, " There 

 can be little question of the propriety of 

 early grounding a child in an elementary 

 knowledge of the astronomical features of 

 the earth on which he lives and of the uni- 

 verse of which it forms a part." He adds 

 also that the "primers" hitherto made for 

 the purpose are failures. In this he is right, 

 and his own book will have to take its place 



